Bill splitting and payment system and method

ABSTRACT

The present subject matter discloses systems and methods in which a mobile application integrates with a point of sale (POS) system such that users may split and pay an itemized bill.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application comprises a continuation of U.S. application Ser. No.16/405,972 filed May 7, 2019, which is a continuation of U.S.application Ser. No. 14/082,162 filed Nov. 17, 2013 (U.S. Pat. No.10,282,713), which incorporates by reference and claims priority to U.S.Provisional Application No. 61/790,324 filed on Mar. 15, 2013, theentireties of which are incorporated herein.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present subject matter relates generally to systems and methodsadapted to provide bill splitting and payment functionality. Morespecifically, the present subject matter provides a solution in which amobile application integrates with a restaurant's point of sale (POS)system such that by providing a table identification, users may splitand pay an itemized bill, including various tipping options, without theaid of servers or restaurant staff.

From both a customer's perspective and a server's perspective, it can bedifficult, unpleasant, and inefficient to pay for a meal at arestaurant. The server must bring the bill to the table, the patron mustdetermine a payment method and provide some physical form of payment(e.g., cash or transaction card), the server must return to the table tocollect the payment and, in situations in which the patron is payingusing a transaction card, return to the table for the patron'ssignature. Even when the customer pays in cash, the server may need toreturn to the table to bring appropriate change. Each piece of thetransaction is fraught with inefficiencies. For example, the server isrequired to wait for the patron to produce a payment method, which mayinvolve the server stopping by the table a couple of times to see if thepatron has produced a payment method. Similarly, the patron who might bein a hurry must wait on the waiter to reappear at the patron's table inthe midst of the waiter taking care of numerous other tables, all atdifferent points along the dining process, in order to process thepayment.

These issues increase in severity as the number of people dining in agroup grows. Often, larger groups will desire to split the paymentamongst a number of patrons. This often requires a calculation of eachindividual's contribution, coordination of multiple payment methodsand/or the coordination of payment between patrons at the table. Thesecomplications can affect both the customers and the servers. Many timescustomers will write down the amount owed on the back of the bill andprovide multiple payment methods for the server to manage. Other times,customers will ask that the bill be split, requiring more time andenergy from the server, who must recall which items each customer isresponsible for. What is needed is an easy way to add up an individual'scontribution to the bill, calculate and add required tax, calculate andadd desired or included tip, and pay electronically without physicalmedia.

There is no successful solution on the market that addresses theseconcerns. Accordingly, there is a need for bill splitting and paymentsystem and methods, as described and claimed herein.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present subject matter discloses systems and methods in which amobile application integrates with a restaurant's point of sale (POS)system such that, by providing a table identifier, users may split andpay an itemized bill, without the need of servers or restaurant staff.

The bill payment system includes a controller and a memory coupled tothe controller, wherein the memory is configured to store programinstructions executable by the controller. In response to executing theprogram instructions, the controller is configured to receive a tableidentification from a user device. In an example, the tableidentification is a QR code. In response to the receipt of the tableidentification, the controller is configured to retrieve an invoice froma point of sale system, wherein the invoice is associated with the tableidentification and further includes a plurality of line items comprisingan invoice total.

The controller is configured to display the invoice on a user interfaceaccessible through the user device, wherein the user interface includesa user input mechanism adapted to receive a user's selection of one ormore of the line items and generate a sub-invoice based on the user'sselection. The user payment may include credit card information. Theuser interface is adapted to receive a user payment for the sub-invoice.The controller is also configured to apply the user payment to thesub-invoice and communicate a completion status for the sub-invoice tothe user device and point of sale system.

The controller may be configured to receive user selection and userpayment from more than one user interface for a single invoice. Further,the controller is configured to apply the user payment to thesub-invoice from more than one user interface for a single invoice.

In another embodiment, the bill payment system includes a controller incommunication with a user interface and a point of sale system, whereinthe controller is adapted to provide a bill payment applicationaccessible through the user interface. The bill payment applicationreceives a table identification from the user interface, receives anddisplays an invoice from the point of sale system corresponding to thetable identification, and receives user selection and user paymentthrough the user interface. The bill payment application generates asub-invoice in response to the user selection, applies the user paymentto the sub-invoice, and communicates a completion status for thesub-invoice to the point of sale system.

In an example, the user selection may be a line item selected from theinvoice. The bill payment application may be configured to receive andapply the user selection and the user payment from multiple userinterfaces for a single invoice. The bill payment application maydisplay an updated invoice to the user interface after the bill paymentapplication communicates a completion status for at least onesub-invoice to the point of sale system. In another example, the billpayment application may provide and display invoice splitting options.

The present disclosure also provides bill payment methods. In anembodiment, the method includes a first step of receiving a tableidentification from a user device. The second step includes retrievingan invoice from a point of sale system in response to the receipt of thetable identification, wherein the invoice is associated with the tableidentification and further includes a plurality of line items comprisingan invoice total. The third step includes displaying the invoice on auser interface accessible through the user device, wherein the userinterface includes a user input mechanism adapted to receive a user'sselection of one or more of the line items and generate a sub-invoicebased on the user's selection, further wherein the user interface isadapted to receive a user payment for the sub-invoice. The fourth stepincludes applying the user payment to the sub-invoice. The fifth stepincludes communicating a completion status for the sub-invoice to theuser device and point of sale system.

In an example, the method includes receiving user selection and userpayment from more than one user interface for a single invoice. Themethod may include applying more than one user payment to a singleinvoice. As discussed above, the table identification may include a QRcode. In another example, the user payment may include credit cardinformation.

An advantage of the methods and systems disclosed herein is that withminimal user action through a user's interface, a bill can be split andpaid without the aid of a server.

Another advantage of the methods and systems disclosed herein is thatthe bill may easily be split, allowing for customers to individuallyselect which items to pay for or allowing for customers to select tojointly pay for various items, without relying on a server.

A further advantage of the methods and systems disclosed herein is thatmultiple customers may pay the bill through a restaurant's point of salesystem, without the aid of a server.

Yet, another advantage of the methods and systems disclosed herein isthat the method provides a customizable bill splitting method that mayautomatically calculates tip, tax, and the customer's portion of thebill.

Additional objects, advantages and novel features of the examples willbe set forth in part in the description which follows, and in part willbecome apparent to those skilled in the art upon examination of thefollowing description and the accompanying drawings or may be learned byproduction or operation of the examples. The objects and advantages ofthe concepts may be realized and attained by means of the methodologies,instrumentalities and combinations particularly pointed out in theappended claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The drawing figures depict one or more implementations in accordancewith the present concepts, by way of example only, not by way oflimitations. In the figures, like reference numerals refer to the sameor similar elements.

FIG. 1 is a schematic of an example of an embodiment of the systemdisclosed herein.

FIG. 2 is a schematic of an example of an embodiment of the systemdisclosed herein wherein the system supports multiple users.

FIG. 3 is a flow chart of an example of an embodiment of the systemdisclosed herein.

FIG. 4 is a front view of an example of a user device with a displayedinvoice.

FIG. 5 is a front view of an example of a user device with a displayedsub-invoice.

FIG. 6 is a schematic of an example of an embodiment of the methoddisclosed herein.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The present disclosure provides for systems and methods relating to billpayment. Specifically, the system 10 disclosed herein provides a userwith a customizable bill payment option surrounding an invoiceassociated with the user's table. The system 10 completes a user's billpayment without involving the inefficiencies associated withconventional bill payment methods. Specifically, system 10 allows a userto retrieve the bill associated with the user's table, select certainitems from the bill to pay for, and complete payment of the user's bill,all without the assistance of a server.

As shown in FIG. 1, the bill payment system 10 includes a controller 12,a memory 14 coupled to the controller 12, wherein the memory 14 isconfigured to store program instructions executable by the controller12. In an example, the controller 12 and memory 14 may be included in aportable electronic user device 18 having a user interface 30. Forexample, the user device 18 may be a touchscreen-enabled smartphone.

As further shown in FIG. 1, the controller 12 may embody a plurality ofmodules: a payment module 54, a bill retrieving module 56, a tableidentification module 58, a bill itemization module 60, among others,which are illustrated as discreet elements merely for clarity in thedescription. It is understood that the modules may be aspects of aunified payment application or may be broken into as many discreteelements as desired for purposes of accomplishing the solutions providedherein.

In response to executing the program instructions, the controller 12 isconfigured to receive a table identification 16 from a user device 18,as shown in FIG. 2. The table identification 16 may be a numberassociated with the user's table, wherein the number is also associatedwith a restaurant's point of sale (POS) system. The input of the tableidentification 16 may include user action through the user interface 30of typing in the table number on a real or displayed key pad on the auser interface 30. Alternatively, the user action may include scanningor taking a picture of the table identification 16 that includes a quickresponse (QR) code or bar code displayed on the table using a camerafunctionality of the user device 18, as shown in FIG. 2. In an example,the system 10 may prompt a user to scan a QR code upon activating thesystem 10. For example, a user may activate the system 10 by selecting apayment application 62 through the user interface 30.

As shown in FIGS. 2-3, in response to receiving the table identification16, the controller 12 is configured to retrieve an invoice 20 from apoint of sale system 22, where the invoice 20 is associated with thetable identification 16. The invoice 20 includes a plurality of lineitems 24 and an invoice total 26. An example of an invoice 20 displayedon a user interface 30 is shown in FIG. 4. The line items 24 are eachitem the user is purchasing. For example, the plurality of line items 24in FIG. 4 includes a side salad, soup, cheeseburger, tuna melt, brownie,apple pie, and coke. The cost and quantity of each item may be displayednext to the item, as well as a prompt 29 associated with user selection28. The invoice 20 may be displayed on the user interface 30 in anynumber of formats including listing the line items 24 or displayingpictures of the items associated with the line items 24. For example,the line item 24 associated with the order of two cokes could bedisplayed on the user interface 30 as a picture of two cokes.

The controller 12 is further configured to display the invoice 20 on auser interface 30 accessible through the user device 18, wherein theuser interface 30 includes a user input mechanism adapted to receive auser's selection 28 of one or more of the line items 24. The user inputmechanism may include any input mechanism known by those skilled in theart. For example, the user input mechanism may include typing on anactual or displayed keyboard, selecting an item by touching the userinterface 30, among others. In addition, the user input mechanism mayinclude dragging certain items from the displayed itemized bill to adesired position on the user interface 30 that is designated for eachperson's bill.

The user selection 28 may include an addition of gratuity to the billbased on an amount or percentage, the selection of certain items to payfor from the line items 24, the selection of certain items to be paid bya different user, among other options. Alternatively, the controller 12may be configured to display various bill splitting options such as anoption to split the bill evenly among a number of users or by apercentage.

The controller 12 is further configured to, upon receiving userselection 28, generate a sub-invoice 32 based on the user's selection28. As shown in FIG. 5, the controller 12 may be configured to display asub-invoice total 33 on the user interface 30, for example, for a userto confirm the user selection 28 was correct. It is contemplated thatthe controller 12 may be configured to allow a user selection 28associated with the user denying confirmation of the sub-invoice 32.Upon receiving such user selection 28, the controller 12 may redisplaythe invoice 20 with the line items 24 and receive user selection 28. Thecontroller 12 would then apply the user selection 28 to recalculate thesub-invoice 32 and display the corrected sub-invoice 32 on the userinterface 30.

An example of a sub-invoice 32 is shown in FIG. 5. The user in thisexample selected the line items 24 including the side salad,cheeseburger, and coke from the line items 24 displayed in the invoice20 in FIG. 4. The sub-invoice total 33 is also displayed as well as theamount of tip the user selected. The sub-invoice 32 includes a userselection mechanism that either confirms or denies the sub-invoice total33. For example, the user selection mechanism may include user actionassociated with confirmation of the sub-invoice total 33 of selecting“complete payment” or user action associated with denying confirmationby selecting “go back” that re-displays the invoice 20 if the user needsto change his or her user selection 28.

The controller is also configured to receive a user payment 34. The userpayment 34 may be received at the same time as the user selection 28 isreceived. Alternatively, the user payment 34 may be received after thecontroller 12 displays the sub-invoice 32 on the user interface 30. Forexample, a user payment 34 may only be entered once the user confirmsthe sub-invoice 32. The user payment 34 may be associated with credit ordebit card information, a personal account in connection with therestaurant's POS system 22, among other payment methods.

Upon receipt of the user selection 28 and the user payment 34, thecontroller 12 is configured to apply the user payment 28 to thesub-invoice 32. Once completed, the controller 12 is configured tocommunicate a completion status for the sub-invoice 32 to the userdevice 18 and the point of sale system 22.

It is contemplated that one or more customers may interact with thepayment system 10 through a network. Communication through the networkenables the payment system 10 to provide an interactive website and/ormobile application through which the customers may share information andotherwise communicate. Networked communication further enables thepayment system 10 to facilitate the sharing and updating of informationwith a restaurant's POS system.

For example, instead of a party of four at a restaurant waiting for theserver to produce the bill that they would have to figure out how tosplit, either by items or equally, the system 10 may be used by eachparty to pay for their own share or split evenly without the need of aserver to retrieve a bill, split payment, and communicate payment to therestaurant's POS. Instead, each party simply uses the system 10 to payfor a portion of the invoice 20 using their own user device 20. System10 allows for efficient payment without the need for multiple usersassociated with a single invoice 20 to produce a credit card or cash toa server.

In another embodiment, the bill payment system 10 includes a controller12 in communication with a user interface 30 and a point of sale system22, wherein the controller 12 is adapted to provide a bill paymentapplication accessible through the user interface 30. The bill paymentapplication receives a table identification 16 from the user interface30, receives and displays an invoice 20 from the point of sale system 22corresponding to the table identification 16, and receives userselection 28 and user payment 34 through the user interface 30. The billpayment application generates a sub-invoice 32 in response to the userselection, applies the user payment 34 to the sub-invoice 32, andcommunicates a completion status for the sub-invoice 32 to the point ofsale system 22.

It is understood that the payment application may facilitatecommunication between multiple parties wishing to contribute to thebill. For example, the payment application may be accessible through oneor more user interface 30. Further, the payment application may beadapted to receive and apply user selection 28 from more than one userinterface 30.

The present disclosure also provides bill payment methods 40, as shownin FIG. 6. In an embodiment, the method 40 includes step 42 of receivinga table identification 16 from a user device 18. The second step 44includes retrieving an invoice 20 from a point of sale system 22 inresponse to the receipt of the table identification 16, wherein theinvoice 20 is associated with the table identification 16 and furtherincludes a plurality of line items 24 comprising an invoice total 26.The third step 46 includes displaying the invoice 20 on a user interface30 accessible through the user device 18, wherein the user interface 30includes a user input mechanism adapted to receive a user's selection 28of one or more of the line items 24 and generate a sub-invoice 32 basedon the user's selection 28, further wherein the user interface 30 isadapted to receive a user payment 34 for the sub-invoice 32. The fourthstep 50 includes applying the user payment 34 to the sub-invoice 32. Thefifth step 52 includes communicating a completion status for thesub-invoice 32 to the user device and point of sale system 22.

As mentioned above and schematically shown in FIG. 1, aspects of thesystems and methods described herein are controlled by one or morecontrollers 12. The one or more controllers 12 may be adapted to run avariety of application programs, access and store data, includingaccessing and storing data in the associated databases 16, and enableone or more interactions as described herein. Typically, the controller12 is implemented by one or more programmable data processing devices.The hardware elements, operating systems, and programming languages ofsuch devices are conventional in nature, and it is presumed that thoseskilled in the art are adequately familiar therewith.

For example, the one or more controllers 12 may be a PC basedimplementation of a central control processing system utilizing acentral processing unit (CPU), memory 14 and an interconnect bus. TheCPU may contain a single microprocessor, or it may contain a pluralityof microprocessors for configuring the CPU as a multi-processor system.The memory 14 may include a main memory, such as a dynamic random accessmemory (DRAM) and cache, as well as a read only memory, such as a PROM,EPROM, FLASH-EPROM, or the like. The system may also include any form ofvolatile or non-volatile memory 14. In operation, the memory 14 storesat least portions of instructions for execution by the CPU and data forprocessing in accord with the executed instructions.

The one or more controllers 12 may also include one or more input/outputinterfaces for communications with one or more processing systems.Although not shown, one or more such interfaces may enablecommunications via a network, e.g., to enable sending and receivinginstructions electronically. The communication links may be wired orwireless.

The one or more controllers 12 may further include appropriateinput/output ports for interconnection with one or more outputmechanisms (e.g., monitors, printers, touchscreens, motion-sensing inputdevices, etc.) and one or more input mechanisms (e.g., keyboards, mice,voice, touchscreens, bioelectric devices, magnetic readers, RFIDreaders, barcode readers, motion-sensing input devices, etc.) serving asone or more user interfaces 30 for the controller 12. For example, theone or more controllers 12 may include a graphics subsystem to drive theoutput mechanism. The links of the peripherals to the system may bewired connections or use wireless communications.

Although summarized above as a PC-type implementation, those skilled inthe art will recognize that the one or more controllers 12 alsoencompasses systems such as host computers, servers, workstations,network terminals, and the like. Further one or more controllers 12 maybe embodied in a device, such as a mobile electronic device, like asmartphone or tablet computer. In fact, the use of the term controller12 is intended to represent a broad category of components that are wellknown in the art.

Hence aspects of the systems and methods provided herein encompasshardware and software for controlling the relevant functions. Softwaremay take the form of code or executable instructions for causing acontroller 12 or other programmable equipment to perform the relevantsteps, where the code or instructions are carried by or otherwiseembodied in a medium readable by the controller 12 or other machine.Instructions or code for implementing such operations may be in the formof computer instruction in any form (e.g., source code, object code,interpreted code, etc.) stored in or carried by any tangible readablemedium.

As used herein, terms such as computer or machine “readable medium”refer to any medium that participates in providing instructions to aprocessor for execution. Such a medium may take many forms. Non-volatilestorage media include, for example, optical or magnetic disks, such asany of the storage devices in any computer(s) shown in the drawings.Volatile storage media include dynamic memory, such as the memory 14 ofsuch a computer platform. Common forms of computer-readable mediatherefore include for example: a floppy disk, a flexible disk, harddisk, magnetic tape, any other magnetic medium, a CD-ROM, DVD, any otheroptical medium, punch cards paper tape, any other physical medium withpatterns of holes, a RAM, a PROM and EPROM, a FLASH-EPROM, any othermemory chip or cartridge, or any other medium from which a controller 12can read programming code and/or data. Many of these forms of computerreadable media may be involved in carrying one or more sequences of oneor more instructions to a processor for execution.

It should be noted that various changes and modifications to theembodiments described herein will be apparent to those skilled in theart. Such changes and modifications may be made without departing fromthe spirit and scope of the present invention and without diminishingits attendant advantages. For example, various embodiments of the methodmay be provided based on various combinations of the features andfunctions from the subject matter provided herein.

1. A bill payment system comprising: a first user device associated witha first customer including: a first controller; a first wirelesscommunication interface connected to the first controller, wherein thefirst controller is in communication with a point of sale system of abusiness device; and a first memory in the first user device coupled tothe first controller, wherein the first memory is configured to storeprogram instructions executable by the first controller; wherein inresponse to executing the program instructions, the first controller isconfigured to: retrieve, on the first user device, an invoice from thepoint of sale system on the business device, wherein the invoiceincludes a plurality of line items comprising an invoice total; displaythe invoice on a first user interface accessible through the first userdevice, wherein the first user interface includes a first user inputmechanism adapted to receive a user's selection related to a firstsubset of invoice total and generate a first sub-invoice based on theuser's selection, further wherein the first user interface is adapted toreceive a first user payment for the first sub-invoice; receive thefirst sub-invoice and the first user payment; apply the first userpayment to the first sub-invoice; communicate a first completion statusfor the first sub-invoice to the point of sale system on the businessdevice; and a second user device including: a second controller; asecond wireless communication interface connected to the secondcontroller, wherein the second controller is in communication with thepoint of sale system of the business device; and a second memory in thesecond user device coupled to the second controller, wherein the secondmemory is configured to store program instructions executable by thesecond controller; wherein in response to executing the programinstructions, the first controller is configured to: retrieve, on thesecond user device, the invoice from the point of sale system on thebusiness device, wherein the invoice includes the plurality of lineitems comprising the invoice total; display the invoice on a second userinterface accessible through the second user device, wherein the seconduser interface includes a second user input mechanism adapted to receivea user's selection related to a second subset of invoice total andgenerate a second sub-invoice based on the user's selection, furtherwherein the second user interface is adapted to receive a second userpayment for the second sub-invoice; receive the second sub-invoice andthe second user payment; apply the second user payment to the secondsub-invoice; communicate a second completion status for the secondsub-invoice to the point of sale system on the business device.
 2. Thesystem of claim 1 wherein each of the first controller and the secondcontroller is configured to receive an invoice identification associatedwith the invoice, and to retrieve the invoice from the point of salesystem in response to receiving the invoice identification.
 3. Thesystem of claim 2 wherein the invoice identification comprises a QRcode.
 4. The system of claim 1 wherein at least one of the first userpayment and the second user payment comprises credit card information.5. The system of claim 1 wherein at least one of the first controllerand the second controller is configured to receive sub-invoices and userpayment from more than one user interface for the invoice.
 6. The systemof claim 1 wherein the first controller is configured to apply theplurality of user payments to the first sub-invoice from more than oneuser interface for the invoice.
 7. The system of claim 1, wherein thefirst user payment and the second user payment provide full payment forthe invoice.
 8. A bill payment method comprising: retrieving, by a firstconsumer on a first user device and by a second consumer on a seconduser device, an invoice from a point of sale system on a businessdevice, wherein the invoice includes a plurality of line itemscomprising an invoice total; displaying the invoice on a first userinterface accessible through the first user device and a second userinterface accessible through the second user device, wherein each of thefirst and second user interfaces includes a first user input mechanismand a second user input mechanism, respectively, the first user inputmechanism adapted to receive a user selection related to a first subsetof invoice total and the second user input mechanism adapted to receivea user selection related to a second subset of invoice total; receivingfirst and second user selections through the first and second userinterfaces, respectively, of the first and second user input mechanisms;generating first and second sub-invoices based on the first and seconduser selections, further wherein each of the first and second userinterfaces is adapted to receive first and second user payments,respectively, for each of the first and second sub-invoices; applyingthe first and second user payments to the first and second sub-invoices;and communicating first and second completion statuses for the first andsecond sub-invoices to the first user device, the second user device,and the point of sale system on the business device.
 9. The method ofclaim 8, further comprising the step of receiving, on each of the firstand second user devices, an invoice identification, wherein the invoiceis associated with the invoice identification.
 10. The method of claim9, wherein the invoice identification comprises a QR code.
 11. Themethod of claim 8, wherein at least one of the first and second userpayments comprises credit card information.
 12. The method of claim 8further comprising generating more than one sub-invoice for the invoice.13. The method of claim 8 further comprising receiving user selectionand user payment from more than one user interface for the invoice. 14.The method of claim 13 further comprising applying more than one userpayment to the invoice.
 15. The method of claim 13, wherein the firstuser payment and the second user payment provide full payment for theinvoice.